Happy Family
by Nonnihil Scelestus
Summary: This is a challenge fic. The challenge is included with the story. Olivia finds a cat and she and John get together.


Since no one seems to want to post a Munchfic challenge, I'll take a  
shot at it.  
The challenge is to write a Munchfic that has any 7 out of the  
following 10 elements in it:  
A crabcake sandwich  
A museum  
A pair of binoculars  
A blender  
An episode of Star Trek  
A library or librarian  
Munch using the word "bifurcate" or "bifurcated" in a sentence.  
A prisoner in an orange jumpsuit  
A Siamese cat  
A broken jar  
Bonus points for using all ten.  
And no, I don't already have something in mind. I just sat here and  
did a stream of consciousness to come up with ten unrelated items.  
Anyone care to take me up on it?  
Keleka

OK! Here it is. Hopefully it's not extremely horrible.

The usual disclaimer applies.

Happy Family by Goddess Nemesis

Olivia puttered around her kitchen searching for something to eat. It hadn't been a wonderful day at work, As if one can have a wonderful day, when you're a cop She thought to herself. It really hadn't been that bad. She and Munch had worked a case together as both Elliot and Fin were in court. Olivia opened one of her cupboards and found cereal, but sighed as she didn't have milk. Opening the refrigerator, she found leftovers from the seafood place they had gone to the night before.

Flashback

They were all laughing and carrying on as they piled into the large booth. Elliot was the only on missing as he had gone home to his wife and kids. John sat across from Olivia and the Captain sat next to her.

"Where do you come up with these words? Do you read the dictionary or something?" Fin asked suddenly.

"What word?" The Captain asked.

"Bifurcate." John answered.

"So what does it mean anyway?" Fin asked again.

"It means to branch or divide into two parts." John answered.

"So you could go all Robert Frost and say 'two roads bifurcated in a yellow wood and I took the one less traveled by'." Olivia said trying not to laugh at how odd it sounded.

"Exactly!" John said with a grin. The rest of the evening passed in much the same manner as he would randomly pull a strange word out and Olivia would find a way to use it in a sentence. The Captain and Fin sat back giving each other knowing looks.

End Flashback

Olivia opened the take-out box, trying to remember what she ate the night before. It was a crab-cake sandwich. She shrugged. Food was food when you were hungry. She made a point of it to make a grocery list as she was eating.

Olivia stuck the list one the refrigerator so that she would remember to take it with went she went to the store the next day. Satisfied that her stomach was full for the moment she went to curl up on her couch with a good episode of 'Star Trek'. It was one of her secret passions, but only the Original Series. She put in the DVD and just as it was about to start, there was a scratching at her door. Olivia got up and peeked through the peep-hole. She didn't see anyone, but the scratching continued. She opened the door a little ways and looked down into the bright blue, cross eyed gaze of a Siamese cat. He mewed at her for a second and then tried to push his way into Olivia's apartment. She picked him up to search for a tag with the owner's number on it, but only came up with the cat's name. The tag read 'Hannibal'. He was purring contentedly against Olivia's chest.

"So are you Hannibal from Roman times or are you supposed to be Hannibal Lecter?" Olivia joked to herself. "Well, we'll see if we can find your owner in the morning, for tonight, we'll watch 'Star Trek'. What do you think?" the cat just continued to purr against her. Olivia wrapped them in the afghan from the back of hr couch and pushed play on the DVD after finding her favorite episode, 'Mirror, Mirror'. "Mr. Spock in a goatee, Hannibal. It can't get any better than that." Olivia said to the cat and engrossed herself in what she was watching.

The next morning Olivia woke to a cramp in her next and a cat on her head. She had fallen asleep on the couch and Hannibal moved up to the back of her couch and wrapped him self around the top of her head and one ear. She pushed away gently so as not to knock him off the back and got up to stretch. Olivia went to the kitchen and started coffee and checked the time. It was a little after 10. She shrugged as she didn't have to be in to work that day and headed back to her bedroom for a long hot shower when there was a knock at her door. Olivia opened the door to see John on her door-step.

"Hey John. What's up?" Olivia asked.

"We caught a case and you're the only one who isn't already on another case. The Captain sent me to pick you up." John answered.

"O.K. Let me grab a quick shower and get dressed. There's coffee in the kitchen and everything so help your-self." Olivia called over her shoulder as she made her way back to the bedroom to shower and dress. John immediately spotted the cat.

"Since when did you get a cat, Olivia?" muttered to him-self. The cat eyed him for a moment before moving closer and butting his head against the mans arm. "You aren't so bad I guess. You just have to watch out for the rest of you demonic little fur-balls. What's your name anyway?" John located the tag. "Hannibal, figures you would have a name like that. Well let's see what we can make Olivia for breakfast." John headed into the kitchen and started his search for something edible or semi-edible for Olivia to have for breakfast as they wouldn't get lunch for a while. Olivia came in a moment later to see her orange juice and a banana sitting on the counter and Johns head in a cabinet.

"What are you looking for?" Olivia asked as she leaned against the door frame. John jumped.

"I was looking for a blender to make you a smoothie for breakfast but I came up with your binoculars and a broken jar instead. Is there a reason you keep your binoculars in the kitchen?" John asked

"Not really that's just where they ended up." Olivia joked.

"Well then toast will have to do." John handed her a plate with buttered toast on it. Hannibal jumped on the island and mewed at her.

"I suppose you're hungry too." John said giving the cat a fake stern look as he couldn't quite help but smile. The cat mewed at John as well. "What do you feed a cat, Liv?" he asked.

"Don't know. Never had one before." Olivia answered as she sat her plate down. It still had a half piece of toast on it. Hannibal with the boldness associate with Siamese cats helped himself. "I guess that will work, then. Just let me put some water out and some newspapers down for him, then we can go."

"What did you do, get the cat and forget the rest?" John teased.

"No, I found him on my doorstep last night and I was going to try and find his owner today. He will be fine, I hope." Olivia said as they walked out the door. Hannibal watched from his perch on the back of the couch.

"We're headed to the Metropolitan museum. A man and a woman got into it there and killed each other. Turns out the woman was really just a kid as she was only 16. We checked the ID's and he was 21. They were both packing from what they told the Captain. I guess they snuck into the museum warehouse which is attached to the back and were hiding there. We'll have to see what's what." John filled Olivia in as the drove.

"This should be fun." She said sarcastically. John nodded and they were silent the rest of the way to the scene. John watched Olivia out of the corner of his eye as he drove. They weren't partnered together very often, but it was always fun with her. She could be just as sarcastic as he could and Olivia actually listened when he spouted his strange conspiracy theories. She was there for him on the rooftop, when he needed a friend and someone to listen to him. He loved her.

The thought hit him like a ton of bricks right in the chest. John almost slammed on the breaks of the car wanting to stop and hold onto that thought and moment of realization for a second longer. He kept driving and sure enough, the doubt that always bothered him came pouring in. There was no way her cold ever tell her that he loved her because that would ruin their friendship. She could never love him and that was final. The brief warm moment John had at his realization was quickly turned cold by his own methods of self preservation. What he didn't know was that Olivia watched him in the same manner.

John was one of the sweetest people she knew. He didn't show it very often but he was. Like this morning with breakfast. Elliot would have helped himself to the O.J and not bothered to think about something for her. Then John made friends with the cat even though he didn't really like cats. And taking the time to come and get her instead of just calling her and making her get a cab and head to the crime scene. He was considerate and even though a little odd, she loved him.

The thought was like a punch to her gut. She loved him. Olivia didn't let anything betray her thoughts. She wanted the car ride to last forever just so she could sit next to him, but they were already at the museum.

The case was fairly simple. They found three sets of fingerprints on each gun. Two were those of the victims. The third popped in juvenile records. It was the girl's younger brother. He had been arrested for robbery the year before. Somehow he managed to get a gun, probably off the street and killed his sister, who was taking care of him, and her boyfriend because he was afraid that she was going to runaway and leave him behind. He was alone in the world and as he was 15, they were going to try him as an adult in the courts. John finished his paperwork and sighed. It was hell when you had to watch families kill each other. The kid was hauled away in an orange jumpsuit, which he would wear for the next few months, to juvenile detention until his court date where he would most likely end up in one of the state prisons and be dead before the end of the year. Sometimes the system worked too well.

Olivia heard John's sigh and looked up. He looked tortured and her heart went out to him. She quickly packed up what she needed and went to stand by his desk. John looked up a moment later.

"Let's go." Olivia ordered.

"Go where?" John countered.

"You picked me up, you have to take me home, with some detours."

"Ok, what detours?

"I need to go to the library for a book on cats, the pet store for cat stuff, and the grocery store because I'm out of food. So let's go. I want to get to the library before it closes." Olivia grabbed John's hand and felt a spark as she levered him out of his chair. As he rose, they stood very close together. She could just see his eyes behind his glasses and they looked like they might be smoldering like her own.

"Let's go then." John said after a moment, breaking away. They headed out the door and down to the car. The Captain in his office just smiled at the two as the wandered out.

Their first stop was the library. Olivia walked straight back to the animal section and started looking for a book on cats. John was on the other side of the shelf and peeked through, his sense of humor coming back.

"Hey Liv, I can see you. Great blouse." John said as he stooped a little to see over the tops of the books at chest level. Olivia laughed earning a quick and stern 'Shhh' from the librarian sitting a few feet away.

"I found the one I want John. Let's get out of here." Olivia said with a grin and a wink as he came around to her side. John caught it and played along. They headed up to the counter and he put his arm around her waist. Olivia gave him a big smile. The librarian, who was in her late 70's, looked disapprovingly at them as if to say 'what are you doing with a woman half your age and you young lady shouldn't be messing around with a man old enough to be your father,' neither of which were true. Olivia quickly checked out her book and when they were back in the car both of them burst out laughing.

"I needed that." John said after a moment.

"Yeah. I thought she was going to burst a blood vessel. She has never liked me. I think she's one of those people who think that women are only good at being librarians or making babies." Olivia commented still laughing a little.

"Strange woman. Where to now?"

"The pet store. I need cat food, litter, a box and some toys and treats."

"Going all out are we?"

"Yep. I think I'm going to keep him."

"Just what you need, a cat."

"Hey, I happen to like cats, and don't see them as demonic little fur-balls. So there." Olivia stuck her tongue out at him and John laughed. They pulled up to pet and got out. Olivia was anxious to go in because she had never had a pet before and therefore had never been into the store. She waited for a moment for John to catch up with her.

"Excited much." John teased again.

"Yes! I've never had a pet. I want to get everything. Come on." Olivia whined.

"No whining, or I'll take you home."

"Yes, daddy." John laughed at that. Olivia grinned to hear him laughing. It was such a rare thing. They grabbed a cart and had an employee direct them to the right area. Olivia picked up a large litter pan, a big bag of litter, a big bag of food and a few cat toys that she hoped would be popular with Hannibal. She paid for everything and then they headed to the grocery store.

When they got back to Olivia's apartment, John helped her carry the bags in. Hannibal was still on the back of the couch. Olivia got the cat food and toys out first. She put down food next to Hannibal's water and went to make up the litter box in the spare room. She also put his scratching post in there and put Hannibal in the room so he would know where it was. He followed her back into the kitchen so that he could eat.

"So do you want to stay for dinner…" Olivia started as she came around the corner into the kitchen. John was standing over the stove making something. He had put away her groceries and was cooking for her as well. "Well I guess that answers that question." John looked up and smiled his little crooked smile. Olivia couldn't help but smile in return. She moved closer and stopped at his elbow. "What other surprises do you have in store for me?"

"I think that's it for today." John answered quietly.

"Well thank you then." John looked up at her again. He had removed his glasses while he was cooking and Olivia could read his eyes. John felt his love for her overriding is fear and doubts. She was beautiful standing barefoot in her kitchen in jeans and a t-shirt. Her simple side showing and that made him love her even more. Olivia saw that love shining through his eyes.

She leaned close enough to touch her lips lightly to his. Olivia pulled back after a moment and John pulled her back, kissing her deeply. They broke apart for air a minute later.

"Wow." Olivia said breathless.

"Yeah, wow is right." John commented, equally breathless.

"I need to tell you something…"

"I want to tell you that…." Both said at the same time. They smiled at each other.

"You go first." Olivia said after a second.

"I'm in love with you, Olivia. I realized that today when we were in the car on the way to the crime scene." John said quietly. Olivia took a moment to assimilate what he said and his hopes started to fall. She saw this as he started to look away.

"John, look at me." John looked up. "I love you too. You've just made me the happiest woman on earth." He smiled again and pulled Olivia close and kissed her again. They held each other for another moment before John turned back to the dinner he was making. Olivia staid close and Hannibal twined around their legs. To the outsider, they looked like a happy family.


End file.
